Sharing a super delicious and healthy homemade peanut butter protein bars recipe! Perfect for meal prep and grab-and-go snacks. Plus, they’re gluten-free and dairy-free.
Hey! How are you? I hope you are having a great week! With so much going on around here, this week seems to be flying by. Between work and things with the kids, my days have been especially hectic, so I’ve been reaching for quick and easy meals and snacks. Which brings me to today’s post.
How about a little protein bar with your morning coffee?
I love protein bars as an on-the-go snack because they’re healthy yet delicious. At the same time, I don’t usually love the ingredients for many store bought protein bars. My top bars right now are these good! bars (which are impossible to find; usually Sprouts has them), Aloha, and the chocolate whole food bars.
Homemade peanut butter protein bars
While it is possible to find tasty ones with good ingredients, they can also be a bit on the pricey side! Making them at home instead is so easy, way less expensive, and they don’t require a lot of time in or any cooking or baking skills. Peanut butter is one of the most popular ingredients used in protein bars (and one of my fave flavors!), so today, I’m sharing a peanut butter protein bar* recipe that you can make at any time!
*You can also make fun and delicious peanut butter protein balls using this recipe!
What Is A Protein Bar Good For
A quick snack when you don’t have time for a full meal
Sometimes it gets busy and instead of skipping a meal because you don’t have time to make a full meal, I’m ALL about relying on convenience. If these are in the fridge ready to go, you can enjoy one along with a hard-boiled egg or an apple – it’s perfect if you don’t have time to actually cook anything. Is it a substitute for a real meal? Nope! Buuuut it can give you extra fuel and nutrients when you’re on a time crunch and in a hurry.
For travel
I love wrapping up a homemade protein bar and popping it in my tote bag when we’re traveling, along with the usual suspects: jerky, tea, an apple, some chocolate, LMNT packs, trail mix, and a tuna pouch. I can never find any of my go-to protein bars at the airport, so it’s nice to have one on hand that you know you enjoy.
Post-workout fuel
These are great if you’re heading to the gym and then have to head straight to an appointment or back to work. As a pre- or post-workout snack, these homemade protein bars give you a burst of protein, carbs, and healthy fats, plus they are portable and don’t make a mess. 😉
Late-night snacks
Despite what you may have heard, it is not harmful to eat before you go to bed if it’s macro-balanced. Sometimes if you’re hungry, you may need a bit of protein and carbs to prevent a glucose crash in the night, disputing sleep. Just make sure that it’s balanced and not too sugary, which makes these bars an excellent choice. More of my favorite pre-bedtime snacks include hard-boiled eggs and some fruit, yogurt with some grain-free granola, and deli meat rolled up with hummus.
Peanut Butter Protein Bar Recipe
Ingredients
- Vanilla or chocolate pea, brown rice, or whey protein powder (I like NOW Foods, DNS, and Truvani)
- Peanut butter (feel free to substitute with almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or other nut butter)
- Oats
- Maple syrup
- Mini milk or dark chocolate chips
- Coconut oil
- Vanilla extract
- Sea salt
- Monk fruit (*optional, but I like that its naturally sweetening, not artificial tasting )
How To Make Peanut Butter Protein Bars
Step One
Grind the oats into a flour in a high-speed blender or a food processor. You can make them into a fine flour or leave them with a bit more texture, depending on your preference.
Step Two
Add the oats to a bowl, along with the chocolate or vanilla protein powder, and sea salt, then mix well.
Step Three
In a separate bowl, stir together the maple syrup, vanilla, and peanut butter. If you want this to be less sweet, use a majority of almond milk instead of maple syrup. This also depends on the sweetness of the protein powder.
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, and then stir in the mini chocolate chips.
Step Four
Spread the mixture onto a 9×9 baking pan lined with parchment paper and place in the fridge to set slightly.
Step Five
Mix the coconut oil and chocolate in the microwave for about 30 seconds and stir until melted.
Step Six
Drizzle the chocolate over the bars and place back into the fridge to set, about 30 minutes.
Step Seven
Remove from the fridge and cut into bars. Keep stored in the fridge in a covered container for up to one week.
Homemade peanut butter protein bars
A healthy and delicious snack recipe you can make in advance to enjoy throughout the week.
1 large scoops (70g) vanilla or chocolate protein powder (I like NOW Foods, DNS, and Truvani)
3 oz peanut butter
80g oats (about 1 cup) ground into flour
3 oz maple syrup
1 oz almond milk or water
2 oz mini chocolate chips (plus an extra 2 oz for drizzling)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Monk fruit (*optional)
Step One
Grind the oats into a flour in a high-speed blender or a food processor. You can make them into a fine flour or leave them with a bit more texture, depending on your preference.
Step Two
Add the oats to a bowl, along with the protein powder, sea salt, and mix well.
Step Three
In a separate bowl, stir together the maple syrup, vanilla, and peanut butter. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, and then stir in the mini chocolate chips.
Step Four
Spread the mixture onto a parchment-lined 9×9 baking dish and set in the fridge to set slightly.
Step Five
Mix the coconut oil and chocolate in the microwave for about 30 seconds and stir until melted.
Step Six
Drizzle the chocolate over the bars and place back into the fridge to set, about 30 minutes.
Step Seven
Remove from the fridge and cut into bars. Keep stored in the fridge in a covered container for up to one week.
Notes
If your protein powder is on the sweet side, use more almond milk and less maple syrup to hold them together. If your protein powder is not sweet, add the maple syrup and a little monk fruit and stevia according to your preference!
How Long Do Homemade Protein Bars Last?
Most homemade protein bars will last 1-2 weeks if you store them in an airtight container in the fridge. To make them last longer, you can also store them in the freezer for up to six months.
Are you going to make these??
Please let me know how they turn out!!
xo
Gina
More of my favorite meal prep staples and healthy snacks:
5 high protein meal prep recipes
Easy meal planning for busy moms
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